Runoff preview: James vs. Cantone for commission seat

With their commissioner, Jeri Muoio, set to become the city’s mayor, District 4 voters are faced with choosing their next representative from two candidates who neighborhood leaders said remain relatively unknown.

Tuesday’s runoff between Keith James and Diane Cantone is a city-wide election, but it’s District 4 voters in the city’s western communities who come out in the largest percentages and who have the most at stake.

So in the closing days before the runoff, James has been introducing himself to them as a candidate who understands the issues.

“I understand we have $46 million in property tax revenue with a $50 million police budget,” James said. “I understand we have a $30 million fire budget on top of it. The overall salaries are going to have to be adjusted with personnel cuts.”

While James hasn’t been specific about where to cut in the budget, he has talked to the media about his message.

Cantone has refused interviews to discuss her political vision as well as the type of personal details that are usually found on a résumé. She won’t reveal where she attended school, saying only that she attended some college and is “a product of the public education system.”

Still, Cantone —— a resident of Riverwalk —— dominated the western vote in the March 8 election, while James was even stronger in the east, where he lives. He finished with 40 percent of the overall vote and she had 36 percent. The third candidate, John Cohen, was eliminated.

Cantone, a small-business owner who has lived in West Palm Beach for 12 years, wouldn’t comment for this story, instead directing people to her website, which says she wants to support small businesses already invested in the city and attract large outside companies to create new jobs; negotiate the city’s pension contracts to balance the budget and keep taxes low; and plan and complete capital improvements as necessary to keep the city attractive to businesses. The site also mentions public safety and keeping the city attractive for companies like Digital Domain.

James’ website takes a similar stand on all the same issues, although it talks about improving neighborhoods with sidewalks or landscaping where Cantone’s speaks of capital improvements.

“She’s talked about her desire and interest to focus on the budget because it’s a significant issue in the city,” said Rick Asnani, Cantone’s campaign consultant. “She’s focused on economic development because jobs are a big factor in the community.”

James, an attorney and 23-year resident of the city, said, “It’s only fair that the voters know where we stand on the issues.”

“We have to tackle pension reform —— should overtime be part of pensionable income? Should we look at whether the drop account for (retired employees) should earn interest at 8.25 percent? Nothing is getting interest at 8.25 percent these days,” James said. “These are the kinds of issues the city commission is going to have to grapple with.”

Although Cantone lives in a western neighborhood, leaders from western gated communities said they know little about her, and CityWatch, a western community political action committee, has endorsed James since the March 8 election.

After not appearing in front of The Palm Beach Post editorial board, Cantone said she wasn’t seeking any endorsements. However, she sought and didn’t receive earlier endorsements from the chamber of commerce and CityWatch.

She has pointed to her experience as an agent for NFL kickers and punters; she was featured in an article in USA Today in 2000 as a rare female agent, listed as representing two kickers, neither of whom attempted a kick in the NFL. Asnani said Cantone represented kickers who made it to the pros, but couldn’t reveal their names because of confidentiality agreements.

Cantone also lists herself as a mediator with the Florida Supreme Court. Public records show that she is registered, but hasn’t performed any mediation. Asnani said Cantone has used those skills as a sports agent and as a volunteer at the Community Justice Service Center on Tamarind Avenue.

A Harvard law graduate, James initially sought the commission seat five years ago after Ray Liberti went to prison on corruption charges, but Muoio was appointed.

Mayor Lois Frankel appointed him to head the city’s ethics task force that was formed in 2007. The task force was later criticized by several of its own members for a lack of achievement and was accused of being formed simply to give an appearance that Frankel wanted ethics reform before her reelection campaign.

James defended it, saying the task force made numerous recommendations, and it was the up to the commission to adopt them.

He also defends himself over accusations that he has had financial problems, saying that he’s been open about them and is working to resolve them. James has tax liens on his home totalling more than $100,000, something he largely blames on a recent divorce and in the late 1990s his home went into foreclosure.

While the commission race is nonpartisan, Cantone, a registered Republican, has received support from Palm Beach County Republican Chairman Sid Dinerstein.

James, a registered Democrat, is supported by Frankel. Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, a registered Republican who supported James during the initial race, said she’s remaining neutral now.

James said that despite support from the city’s establishment, he will be an independent thinker on the commission.

“I’m not here to be a rubber stamp for anyone,” James said. “I’m here to offer an independent assessment, analysis of the issues presented to the commission.”